Welcome to My Morning Routine, where we take a look at how people kick-start the day. And by “people” we mean celebrities.

(Credit: Matt Duckor)

You probably first knew
Eve from her illustrious rap career, when she worked with everyone from the
Ruff Ryders to Gwen Stefani to produce some of the most ear-inhabiting radio hits and TRL-worthy music videos of the early 2000s. Then she took to the silver screen in Barbershop, xXx, and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle because, you know, being a Grammy award-winner wasn’t enough. Now Eve’s getting back into the rap game: on May 14, she’s releasing Lip Lock, her first album in ten years. Check out her fierce single, “She Bad Bad,” and read below about her new British tendencies, her restaurant recommendations for London and Philly, and her crazy pre-studio cookie ritual.

I sleep naked–I’m definitely a naked girl. When I wake up, I throw on a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and big, fuzzy socks and start the day. Usually, I’m up early. It depends on the night before, if I’ve had a studio session or I’ve gone out. Usually it’s by 9. The first thing I do is drink a cup of tea, which is so British, but I’ve been like that even before I moved to London. Usually it’s either hot water and lemon or Twinings green tea with honey. If I am hungry, I’ll make sunnyside-up eggs and some toast. Then I check emails and make phone calls if I need to. Everyone I work with is on the East Coast, in New York, so I fall asleep when people are still emailing.

I am okay with the food in London–there’s a lot of ethnic food there. My boyfriend and I order in a lot, or we’ll just go out. When I first moved to London, I couldn’t find a good Mexican spot. But now I have this place called Crazy Homies in Notting Hill that is the best–it is so damn good. I love their fish tacos. They have this signature drink called Tommy’s Margarita, which I love.
It is so important that a Mexican restaurant have good chips, and theirs are the best. These chips are always ridiculously thin, crispy, and fresh. So that’s my favorite.

(Credit: Amarpail Kaliari)

If I am up early enough to eat breakfast at a restaurant, there is a place that I really like called Kitchen and Pantry. They have great juice–
I try to get some kind of fresh juice in me at least three times a week. I love quiche, I know it sounds weird, but they have great quiche.

When I’m on the road, I’m usually in a hotel. So that always makes life easy in the morning, especially if I have to be up early. Traveling around in a city I don’t know well, I usually eat fast food. Like, a quick salad. To me, that is fast food.
I do not eat any kind of burgers or anything like that.

I don’t do any voice exercises because I’m not really a singer singer, so thankfully I don’t have to worry about vocal warmups–although they benefit everyone. The one thing I do before I go to the studio–if I can get it–is
I eat five chocolate chip cookies and a soy cappuccino. It’s like crack. You will be bouncing off the wall. Things like Red Bull make me super crack-y. I can’t take the come-down after Red Bull.

I’m from Philly originally, and there’s a place called Ishkabibble’s that I’ve been going to since I was in high school, and it’s a place I try to get to when I’m in Philly. They do these chicken chopped steaks, kind of like a cheesesteak but with chicken, and it’s so damn good. Wawa was my real teenage hangout, but I’m not a Wawa girl anymore.

When I’m eating dinner, my dinner’s not done until I’ve had dessert. And anything that’s sweet and salty is like heaven to me.
At Momofuku in New York City, they have this ice cream that’s got peanut butter and Saltines. It’s the best sh*t that has ever happened to my life. I almost punched my friend in the face because it was so good. But if I could have one food for the rest of my life, it would be Nutella. I will put it on anything. If I want to just go for it and treat myself, I do toasted bread with peanut butter, Nutella, and some cinnamon–it’s the best thing ever.